Sprinkler head for shower baths



May 7, 1935. v. E. scHMlEDEKNEcHT 2,000,792

SPRINKLER HEAD FOR SHOWER-BATHS Filed Nov. 23, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet lwnnllnr :d 3 Anm. 5

May 7, 1935- vv. E. scHMlEDEKNEcl-IT l 2,000,792

SPRINKLER HEADv FOR SHOWER BATHS Filed NOV. 23, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 2May 7, 1935. v. E. scHMlEDEKNEcHT 2,000,792

SPRINKLER HEAD FOR SHOWER BATHS Filed Nov. 23, 1954 5 Sheets-Shea?I 3 YI @Mm/ww;

Patented May 7, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE 9 Claims.

This invention relates tov sprinkler heads for shower baths.

One important object of the invention is to provide a sprinkler headarranged to produce a ne frusto-conical spray on the exterior of a humanbody and a more condensed spray within such frusto-conical spray, thesame being formed centrally of the shower head.

A second important object of the invention is to provide a sprinklerhead of this description wherein these sprays will intersect tocompletely cover the person beneath the spray witha lm of cleansingwater.

A third important object of the invention is to provide a head of thisdescription wherein, by properly positioning a valve controlling thespray, any sediment collecting from the water supply to the spray willbe cleared from the spray valve.

A fourth important object of the invention is to provide a central spraywith a swirling motion which will spread the same out to intersect thesprinkler spray.

A fth important object of the invention is to4 provide-means wherebythis spray may be regulated at any point by a single valve withoutshifting of the valve when released manually.

A sixth important object of the invention is to provide means wherebythis spray may be positioned at various angles to the supply pipe.

With the above and other objects in view as will be hereinafterapparent, the invention consists in general of certain novel details ofconstruction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described,illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically claimed.

In the accompanying drawings like characters of reference indicate likeparts in the several views, and:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of such a spray head with its connection tothe supply pipe, the valve handle being shown in full lines in itsintermediate position and in dotted lines in the extreme positions.

Figure 2 is a diametrical section taken through the central line ofFigure 1 with the lower part of the controlling handle omitted, thevalve being shown in its intermediate position.

Figure 3 is a section similar to Figure 2 but with the valve shown inits raised position.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 2, but with the valve shown in itslowermost position.

Figure 5 is a bottom plan view of what will be hereinafter termed thebell of the valve.

Figure 6 is a detail end view of the valve raising and loweringmechanism.

Figure 7 is a detail view taken sectionally through the lines l-l ofFigure 4 but showing only the slots producing the swirling motion of thecentral distributing part.

Figure 8 is a modified form of one part of the invention wherein thespray is produced in a slightly different manner from that shown inFigures 2 to 5.

Figure 9 is a bottom plan view of the modification shown in Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a section through the upper part of the valve showing amodification of the swirl producing chamber.

Figure 11V is a section on the line I I-I I yof Figure 10.

In the embodiment of the invention herein i1- lustrated there isprovided a lower or body part I0 which will be preferably called a belland this lower part has at its upper end an inwardly extending angeportion II provided with internal screw threads I2. At the lower part ofthis bell there is provided an inwardly extending iiange I3 which isbeveled so as to provide a frustoconical part I4 and from the inner edgeof this flange I3 rises a rib I5 having an inwardly extending flange I6.The inside face of this iiange, as shown in Figures 2 to 4 is providedat its upper part with a valve seat I'I of inverted frustoconical formwhile at its lower part it is similarly provided with a valve seat offrusto-conical form I8 having therein spaced spray notches I9, thesenotches being circumferentially spaced around the surface I3.

Screwed into the threaded part I2 is a nipple I9a wherein is formed acentral passage 20 provided at its upper end with an enlarged portion 22adapted to receive packing 23. The upper end of this nipple Isa isexternally screw threaded to receive a packing gland 24 shaped to hold aball member 25 having a central passage 26 communieating with thepassage 20. 'I'his ball member 25 is connected by a coupling 21 with asupply pipe 28 wherethrough the device receives its water supply.

Within the bell is mounted a valve member which is built up from acentral member 29 having an axial opening 30 therethrough which isaligned with the passages 26 and Y2li. 'I'his member 29 has at its upperend a flange 3I and at its lower end a flange portion 32 arranged toprovide between these flange portions a groove 33 having parallel orsubstantially parallel upper and lower sides. At the upper end of theopening 30 there is provided a chamber 34 of considerably greaterdiameter than the opening 30 and into ber 34 and thus will pass outthrough the passage Cal 30 in a rotative manner. The lower flange 32 isprovided with a beveled face 39 adapted to seat, when the valve islowered, on the seat l1. At the lower end of the passage 30 the valvepassage is enlarged to provide a screw threaded opening 4i] wherein isscrewed the stem 4l of a lower valve member having an opening 42therethrough aligned with the passage 30, flanges 43. being provided toenable this screw threading to be effected. 'Ihe periphery of thismember 4| is beveled to provide a valve seat 44 which seats against thegrooved part of the flange I6.

In one side of the bell there is provided a screw threaded opening 45wherein is fitted a bearing member 46 through which extends an operatingshaft 41. A packing gland or stuffing box 48 is provided to preventleakage at this point and an operating handle 49 is attached to theouter end of the shaft 4l so that when the operating handle is swungfrom the full line position shown in Figure 1 to the dotted lineposition shown therein the valve will be actuated. This shaft 41 has atits inner end an eccentrically disposed screw threaded portion 50 onwhich is fitted a split nut 5| having at upper and lower sides whichengage the upper and lower sides of the groove 33 so that the split nutresists turning on the eccentrically disposed part 50, the split nutbeing arranged to grip the part 5U firmly.

In place of having the grooves I9 made in the bell flange it may bedesirable to modify the part 4l as shown in Figures 8 and 9 wherein thispart is indicated at 4l' and grooves i9 are formed in the peripheralportion thereof rather than in the bell itself.

It will be observed that in either case, whether the notches Vi9 areformed in the bell, or the notches i9 are formed in the periphery of thelower part of the valve, these notches are of uniform depth and widththroughout. This not only tends to ease and economy of manufacture, butalso renders the flushing action for clearing out sediment much moreeffective.

In the modification shown in Figures 10 and 1l the part 35 is made solidwithout the diagonal slots 38 to produce the swirling action. in thechamber 34 and the chamber 34 is provided with tangentially arrangedopenings 38y which produce the same effect as the slots 38.

In either case, in the operation when the handle is swung to its centralposition the parts assume the position shown in Figure 2. Then, if thewater supply is open, water will flow down through the central passage30, being given a swirling motion by the beveled or diagonal passages38, and out at the lower vend of the passage 42 so as to spray outwardlyin a conical form. In this position any sediment that may have collectedin the small grooves or spray notches l@ will be freely washed out thusleaving the valve free to seat. If it be desired to have a combinedoutward spray and central spray the valve handle 49 'is shifted to movethe parts to the positions shown in Figure 3 whereupon there will be anoutward spray as indicated by the dotted lines in that figure and alsothere will be an inward spray as similarly indicated, it being notedthat these sprays will intersect. On the contrary, if one desires merelyto have a central spray, as for washing the head, the handle t9 isshifted until the parts are brought into the position as in Figure 4. Inthis position the outward spray is cut o, as can be clearly seen, andonly the inner spray is allowed to operate.

There has thus been provided a simple and eicient device of the kinddescribed and for the purpose specified.

It is obvious that minor changes may be made in the form andconstruction of the invention without departing from the material spiritthereof. It is not, therefore, desired to confine the invention to theexact form herein shown and described, but it is desired to include allsuch as properly come within the scope claimed.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is:

1. A sprinkler head for shower baths including a hollow main memberhaving at its lower end a pair of opposed valve seats` a valve membermounted in said hollow member for vertical movement therein and having aperipheral groove at its lower end, the upper and lower faces of saidgroove being shaped to seat respectively on said valve seats, the lowerof said seats being provided with a series of notches, and means toactuate said valve.

2. A sprinkler head for shower baths including a hollow main memberhaving at its lower end a pair of opposed valve seats, a valve membermounted in said hollow member for vertical move- 'ment therein andhaving a peripheral groove at -a pair of opposed valve seats, a valvemember mounted in said hollow member for vertical movement therein andhaving a peripheral groove at its lower end, the upper and lower facesof said groove being shaped to seat respectively on said valve seats,the lower of said seats being provided with a series of notches, andmeans to actuate said valve, said valve member having a central passageextending therethrough.

4. A sprinkler head for shower baths including a hollow main memberhaving a valve seat, and a valve member in said main member formed toseat on said valve seat, said valve seat having a frusto-conicalformation and said valve being frusto-conical to seat thereon, one ofsaid members having a series of notches disposed about its periphery,means to actuate said valve member, said valve member having a centralpassage eX- tending therethrough, and means to produce a swirling motionin the water passing through said central passage.

5. A sprinkler head for shower baths including a hollow main memberhaving at its lower end a pair of opposed valve seats, a valve membermounted in said hollow member for vertical movement therein and having aperipheral groove at its lower end, the upper and lower faces of saidgroove being shaped to seat respectively on said valve seats, the lowerof said seats being provided with a series of notches, means to actuatesaid valve, said valve member havinga central passage extendingtherethrough, and means to produce a swirling motion in the waterpassing through said central passage.

6. A sprinkler head for shower baths including a hollow main memberhaving a valve seat, and a valve member in said main member formed toseat on said valve seat, said valve seat having a frusta-conicalformation and said valve being frusto-conical to seat thereon, one ofsaid members having a series of notches disposed about its periphery,means to actuate said valve member, said valve member having a centralpassage extending therethrough. said valve member having a chamber atits upper end from which said central passage leads, and a closure forthe top of said chamber having diagonal slots therein.

Y 7. A sprinkler head for shower baths including a hollow main memberhaving at its lower end a pair of opposed valve seats, a valve membermounted in said hollow member for vertical movement therein and having aperipheral groove at its lower end, the upper and lower faces of saidgroove being shaped to seat respectively on said valve seats, the lowerof said seats being provided with a series of notches, meanssto actuatesaid valve, said valve member having a central passage extendingtherethrough, said valve member having a chamber at its upper end fromwhich said central passage leads, and a closure for the top of saidchamber having diagonal slots therein.

8. A sprinkler head comprising a hollow body member and a valve member,one of said members having a series of notches formed to produce, whenthe valve is in one position, a series of ne spray streams, said valvebeing further arranged to constantly produce a centrally disposed spraywithin said streams, said valve being arranged to cut oi'f the outerspray in a second position thereof a'nd to permit an intermediateposition to wash out said notches between the first and secondpositions.

9. A sprinkler head comprising a hollow body member and a valve member,one of said members having a series of notches formed to produce, whenthe valve is in one position, a series of fine spray streams, said valvebeing further arranged J to constantly produce a centrally disposedspray within said streams, said valve being arranged to cut on' theouter spray in a second position thereof and to permit an intermediateposition to wash out said notches between the rst and second positions,said notches being of uniform depth g5 throughout.

' VIGYI'OR` E. SCHMIEDEKNECHT.

